A Tale of Sake and Fighting, The Underground Arena
by A Successful Businessman
Summary: Sitting at a bar in the streets of old hell, you see an amiable oni drinking. She pats you on the back, laughing between drinks of sake. Then, she starts telling you a tale...
1. The Arena!

**I had an idea for a fanfiction~.**

**Now, I know how badly my last two are/were, but I feel that this one can't possibly be wors- Oh hi Hina~!**

**I dunno, it started as me really loving (going far too deep in detail of) fight scenes, and then it meshed together!**

**Ah screw it all! Let us just see if this baby makes for a good write/read!**

**~A Successful Businessman.**

**Disclaimer: ZUN belongs to his wife, and Touhou belongs to ZUN.**

* * *

_Hic~. Hey, you! Yes you! I like you! ...No I'm not drunk. Of course I'm not sober, I'm an oni! Ha ha... you're pretty funny. I know I saw something in those eyes. ...Of course I'm not going to fight you, you don't look that strong anyway! ...Ok, don't look down, it's alright, you're funny, and I like you! Here! Bartender, a sake for my friend here! Come on, drink it in, drink it all in buddy! ...Oy, don't cough it up, you're wasting good sake! Not a heavy drinker? Then why didn't you say so! ...Then why didn't you say that louder! Yeesh, in a bar sitting next to an oni yet he can't hold his own liquor... Gah, sorry, I didn't mean that, well ok, I honestly do but, GAH! You know what'll cheer you up! ...Besides more sake, I know you'll just cough half of it back up. Let me tell you a tale! ...No, not a tale of love you dummy! I swear, you are a funny one... This is an oni you're talking to! This is a tale of sake and fighting!_

_Imagine this; a large, barren wasteland, dotted with dead trees and covered in a light haze. Ash hovered in the air like snow, but not from a battle long past, no. This area was once the Hell of blazing fires, the old Hell as it is known today. It used to be much more active, but the Yamas imparted their own 'New Hell' recently, leaving this section of Gensokyo to rot... if there was any real living matter to rot there anyway. This tale takes place long before the creation of the Hakurei Border... well, long for humans and youkai born . To those of the revolutionary age of youkai it would be but a stroll down memory lane, to those of the great age of youkai, the old ones, it would be like yesterday... assuming any of them still live to this date. Now, I know what you're thinking, isn't this same bar in the once barren wasteland? A lot can change over the course of years... but this may have been the catalyst, the spark that reignited old hell._

My name is Yuugi Hoshiguma. I am one of the four Devas of Youkai mountain. I have fought many a worthy opponent, and many more unworthy ones. I had grown tired of fighting the same, weak opponents, so I had gone on a journey to meet some new ones. While I did meet a few, there was only that, a few, and I never stayed near them long enough to really know them. I was going to continue on, out of old Edo, but never quite made it to the sea. Something pulled me back home in the middle of my journey.

"Come on Yuugi, you gotta see this, you just gotta!" That something was Suika Ibuki. _Make a watermelon joke, and I'll take back that comment about you being funny!_ This short friend of mine was, and still does, look like a child, and acts like one, though only when sober. Unfortunantly for me, she was... as sober as she could be. _You see, as I always say, oni have three alcoholic states. One is normal, or as you call it, flat out hammered. The second is 'sober,' which generally means that the oni in question is feeling the effects of lack of alcohol. The third, thankfully, is a short lived state, which I like to call, **give me sake now.** Effects vary between oni, some may just feel lethargic, while others may go into a frenzy until they get their hands on some sake. Henceforth, it is a short lived state._ But yes, Suika was feeling the effects of such a lack of alcohol, and I was paying the price.

"This better not be you asking me for money again, because all of mine was used on travel expenses." I sigh, taking out an ornate sake dish from my pack, and pouring a little 'travel' sake into it from a flask. "I'm almost out of sake myself, so don't ask."

"No, that's not it, oni's honor! ...But if you've got some to spar-" I sigh.

"You know, if you partied just a little less, then maybe you wouldn't always be so penniless. I swear, it seems every time you come into any sum of money, you blow it on sake and partying, much more than any ONI should!"

"Gah, you'd think being a deva of the mountain would get you some free sake once in awhile..."

"Suika. One: I'm also a deva, so you won't get any from me. Two: We're devas, not gods, we don't get offerings. Three: There's no such thing as free sake." As I brought my palm to my face, I saw a strange gleam in the eyes of my friend.

"I'd like to differ with you on the last point." She said, with her eyes still glittering, and a hint of drool down her face. She started jumping around, trying to grab at the dish, but I quickly moved my right hand to avoid her wild grabs, keeping the sake out of her arms length. She made up for the height difference by jumping around, but that made her movements easy to read, and easy to dodge.

"Suika, stop already, it's been a long trip!"

"I should know, I had to drag you back here didn't I!"

"Where is 'here' anyway! I thought you were taking me back to the mountain, not to some stupid wasteland!" Suika just laughed.

"Just wait, you'll see!"

"No, I'm not being another part of your strange schemes! I'm not going with you, I'm not going home to the mountain, I'm going on a journey to meet worthy opponents!" I turned around, and started to walk away, but Suika just grabbed the back of my pack, and started dragging my heels through the grey dirt.

"Just shut up and come on~!" She said, elongating the last word in a sort of whine, still dragging me along. I sighed, allowing her to drag me, sipping sake as a cloud of ash and soot followed us. _It isn't worth it trying to stop Suika once her mind was set to something. This drunk, irresponsible, crazy party animal of a little girl; and I'm going by oni standards here, just so you see just what I'm saying, is still my elder, and is in reality much wiser than she really shows. Once she has her mind set on something, trying to dissuade her was a wasted effort, you should just hope she knows what she's doing, and have a way out when things get serious._

"Ugh, Suika, really, just tell me where you're taking me." I said, the sound of surrender deep in my voice.

"Here!" She pushed my back straight up, and spun me around. The sight I saw caused me to drop my sake dish, and on instinct I quickly kicked it up to head level before Suika could grab it, my friend jumping at my legs to grab it. I caught the dish in my left hand, and took a large gulp. I saw a large building, a round stone coliseum, near 100 meters across. Youkai were flooding in at the gate. Many carried large weapons on large hardy bodies, others just walked with the cloaks on their slim backs, though many would have concealed weapons. These youkai talked to the two people guarding the gates, a red oni and a purple oni, who let them in after touching their hands to their heads.

"Where are we..." I stuttered out. 'Why is there such a large coliseum, especially in such a barren wasteland?' I thought. I received no answer. Suika waved to the two oni, and the two oni responded with smiles.

"Morning Suika, our break's not for a few more hours, and you look dirt poor, so I doubt you're here to take us out drinking." Said the red one with a smirk.

"So I presume that you want to participate." Said the purple one, also with a smile.

"Not me boys," Suika smiled lazily, "my friend here, Yuugi Hoshiguma!" She grabbed me by the arm, and threw me at the two oni. The purple one caught me, and the red one placed his palm to my forehead.

"Yes... this one will be fine." Said the red one, patting me on the back, and he urged me into the large dark corridor into the arena. "Keep moving, gotta get all the participants through."

"Oi, what's going on!" I called out, as the red one kept pushing me into the corridor.

"So, Suika, should we send for Blue to come and take you to the viewer's stand?" The purple one said to my friend as I was slowly getting pushed out of earshot by a crowd of other participants.

"No thanks Purp~, I know my own way, the spectator's entrance is on the opposite side of the arena right?" Suika started walking away with her arms behind her head.

"Yeah, but..." The purple oni leaned in close, and I urged myself to hear the last comment. "One of your friends is here, the eccentric one."

"The sadistic eccentric one, or the eccentric one that speaks in riddles?" The purple oni just sighed, yelling for an oni called 'Blue.'

"The riddles." The red one said, walking back and putting his hand on another competitor's head.

* * *

Yukari just sat down in the large section of the stands that had been designated for MVYs. She had one hand on her head, the other holding a fan which she used to help stave the stifling heat. She sat there with a bored look in her eyes, while the person sitting next to her just talked.

"You always have quite the, how would you put it, ingenious ideas Yukari. Having this large arena constructed would certainly draw the attention of many youkai, drawing them into this part of your 'haven.' But you have many more ideas, many more ploys, many more events held to pull youkai here, to this already heavily populated land. So then why are you here? Looking for a disciple obviously, this event would weed out many candidates, and after your late master's passing you feel the urge to teach someone yourself, but-"

"You know, Ms. Komeiji, I would be so much more impressed with your reading of my plans if you weren't reading my heart." Yukari retorted with a dull look in her eyes.

"Please Yukari, call me Satori, we are friends correct?" A quick passing thought told the heart reader otherwise. "Well, acquaintance would be the better word, you are right, but call me that anyway. As much as the people here want to believe I am royalty, I am to be but a leader, not a queen."

"Fine then, Satori, what is my heart telling you right now about my plans."

"You can look, but you can't tell~." The satori said, mimicking Yukari's tone with playful seductive charm. "Fine then, it is not as if I really have any benefit from telling anyone. So, why the sudden visit with this 'acquaintance?' If you wanted to watch, why look me up, and not just enter through the entrance like everybo- oh, it's you Yukari, why not watch from a floating gap?" A quick smile partially hidden behind Yukari's fan told Satori the answer. "Boredom, yes, can't forget that. But why me? And actually tell me this time." Satori turned her head over to Yukari, and closed all three of her eyes, shaking her head in disdain. She took a feather from the ground, recently given off by one of her many pets, and poked at the snot bubble given off by the sleeping Yukari.

"Wha-" Yukari jumped up, "did the fights begin yet?"

"You know, just because I can read your heart and you don't have to speak, doesn't mean you can just fall asleep like that." Yukari just yawns, stretching her arms.

"Why do I even keep in contact with you if you always ruin all the fun~?"

"Because you seem to be unable have a real heartfelt talk with someone else, so you think my powers are close enough."

"Come now Satori, we both know I don't think that~."

"But I do." Yukari just sighs.

"I wish I had invited Yuyuko or Sui-"

"Mornin' Yukari." Said Suika hanging off the edge of the balcony. Yukari instantly snapped her head around to see the amber haired oni.

"At times I wonder if I'm really the best at surprise entrances~. I didn't notice you without the smell of alcohol on your breath." Yukari smiled, "I assume you came here for sake, and not to keep me company?"

"Now Yukari, you know oni don't lie!" Suika stared into Yukari's eyes, smiling. "So stop asking questions like that~."

"I also know that you can't really hold a decent conversation without your sake." A gap opened up and a cup fell down into Suika's hands. Soon, sake poured out from the gap, and by the time the cup was filled and the gap was closed, Suika was already asking for more. Yukari just sighed. "Why exactly are you here Suika?"

"To watch the fights of course~!"

"Why not participate~? And not be begging me for sake~?"

"Because this way is much more fun! Sides, I got a friend in the fights, I wanna see if she finally gets to fight some worthy opponents! So pour more sake! This lady right here needs some sake!" Suika pointed towards Satori, gripping her arms. As the satori protested, flailing around, and Yukari poured more sake from a gap with a grin, Suika laughed, and began to think to herself, letting the alcohol do its work.

_He he he... while this arena surely does attract youkai, if Yuugi wasn't here it wouldn't be nearly as spectacular. While I can control density, she can control supernatural phenomena, and because of that, I'll get to see some good fights! She'll naturally attract some strong fighters, an maybe I'll get to see more than just a couple of weak youkai duking it out!_

"Well, well, Yukari," Satori said, pushing away the cup of sake, "it seems your friend's doings are benefiting your plan."

"Oh really~?" The tired youkai just fanned herself some more. "How?"

"It also seems your friend would like to follow the 'look, but don't tell' type of thing."

"Come on Suika, tell me~. Where's that oni honesty~?"

"Knowing you," the small oni just took another drink from her cup, "you'd use h- whatever I had for your own benefit."

"So~?"

"...Good point, I'll tell you after the fights."

"But I'm bored~!" Suika just smiled.

"That's the point." Satori quoted the oni's thoughts, sneaking a quick smile.

* * *

_Bwah? What? Oh, I was drifting off? Sorry, I was just thinking about what Suika was doing, or where she was going... now where was I... oh yes, bartender, another sake~!_

As I walked out of the tunnel, light flooded into my eyes, and I was greeted with the second astounding sight of the day. I had walked into a large, sandy arena, with many figures standing around, some with large satchels like my own, some with nothing but the cloaks on their backs. But the arena filled with fighters was not the astounding sight, it was the coliseum stands that were really the sight.

Youkai of all kinds were in the stands, regal youkai, lesser youkai, youkai in tattered clothes, youkai painted in dried blood, age old youkai, youkai newly born, Tsukumogami, yousei, humans turned youkai, beast youkai, and of course, oni. All these seemingly different youkai, from different walks of life, from different backgrounds, all blurring together seamlessly, all getting along, drinking alcohol, all for the same common purpose. To watch a large fight, to cause a ruckus, to yell and get loud, to just have fun. It brought a tear streaming down my face. I finally knew where I was at that moment. "I'm home." I said with a wide grin, drinking the last of the sake in my dish before refilling it from a flask in my pack. I looked around, glancing at other competitors, and I wondered just what they were thinking.

* * *

_Bwah-haha! Now's my chance to prove my strength!_ A gargantuan, muscular man, wearing only cloth pants and a red beaded necklace; with beads larger than most people's heads, just laughed to himself, looking around at his competition. _I'll show these fools my power! Oy, is that... Yuugi? Bwah-haha, I guess I'm going to get that rematch sooner than I thought!_ This time, he had let a large guffaw out, so loud that he startled many surrounding youkai.

* * *

_I'm scared, trembling even! _A tall feminine figure wearing a tattered brown cloak with a green knapsack slung over her back stood there, shaking. _No, it's not fear, I'm excited! _Her fists at her side tightened, and she seemed to push back surrounding youkai with just the pressure she exerted. _Here is the perfect opportunity to test my skills!_

* * *

_Idiots... _A figure, completely shrouded by a deep blue-violet cloak, sighed to herself. _And I'm suppose to be one of the youngest youkai here?_ All of this youkai's features were hidden by her large cloak and tall hat, even her real size was hidden, there being alot of empty space between her cloak and her body. _All these youkai, just gawking at the countless masses of fodder. _This youkai did not even need to do anything to ward off surrounding youkai, her sword, the only striking feature people could see on her, said more than enough. On her back was a large, seemingly unrealistic Zanbato; a horse slaying sword, wrapped in dirtied cloth, near twice her height in length with a spear like handle. _I really just want to win this and go back home..._

* * *

With all these youkai around, even though nothing was said, we all knew what was going to happen next. A tournament of sorts would happen soon, but with the vast numbers we had, there had to be preliminaries. They st-_Oh, thanks bartender! Hold on bud, I'll be just a moment here._


	2. The Prelims!

**Short authors note, I'm going on vaction! ...So FGWD won't be getting love for awhile...**

**And the crowd cheers!**

**So yeah, a cookie if you can guess where I 'borrowed' some of the non-canon characters from~. (They don't have enough of an impact to actually be part of a crossover, so I lazily tweaked the names~. It shouldn't be a problem... but just in case, all characters, names tweaked or otherwise, belong to their respective owners~.)**

**-ASB**

* * *

_Haaaaaa, that's the stuff! Now where was I? Desolate wasteland, bundle of competato- ah yes, the preliminaries!_

Soon after the arena had literally filled up with potential competitors, the two oni had closed the only gate leading outside, but the two oni stayed on the inside with us, laughing.

"Blue does far too much desk work! He should really join us sometime!" Said the red oni, patting his pruple friend on the back.

"You know that we're not exactly going to make it far, right?" Sighed the purple oni.

"So? Does that really matter? Just being here for the 'first' round is good enough for me!" The red oni just laughed, and soon a bored voice came from all directions.

"Do I really have to do this... Ahem, hello, is this thing on? Yukari, are you sure this gap will wor- Ah, there it is." The voice cleared her throat, and started speaking in a voice that could cause the entire crowd to clam down. "Welcome competetors, fans, and bloodthirsty youkai. I know why all of you have gathered here today, your hearts tell it louder than your voices. Fans, blood thirsty or not, please remain in the stands at all times. There is a magical seal to keep all debris from flying into the stands... but if you jump out of the stands not even I can guarentee your saftey. Competetors, in accordance with sating your urges for battle, the arena's benefactor has provided a large sum of money for the winner, trivial for her, she was willing to give more, but she believes that the amount is large enough for some 'vagrant travl-' " Her voice is cut off, as signs of a scuffle ring through the arena, with oddly familiar drunken cheering in the background. The voice came back, slightly pained, but still showing very little emotion, and once again, the crowd died down.

"Ahem, as I was saying, the sum of money is large, but only for first place. There is no money for second place. As the benefactor would say, 'I only care for the be-' " Another scuffle happens, and the voice comes back with a sigh. "Fights will begin, but first we must weed out some of the youkai that are 'too boring for my tast-' " Another scuffle, and this time a different voice come on, speaking with playful seductiveness.

"Anyway~, preliminaries will begin at noon. Until then, you are free to talk with your competition, but you must remain in the arena. That is to say, you are unable to leave~. The premisis is simple, once the sun reaches the center of the sky, an announcement will be made by my friend here, hopefully she will be more professional next time~. When that announcement is made, you are free to actually attack anyone in the arena, and your numbers should be reduced to 32~. You are free to use any techniques save for killing blows, just try to keep those in the audience entertained, okay~!" The voice cut off after that, and I looked up to the sky. The sun was so low I couldn't even see it.

I walked around the circular arena, watching as many competitors conversed with eachother. I would soon do the same, as one of my friends came up from behind me, smacking me on the back.

"Yuugi, my friend, why am I not surprised to see you here!" It was a voice that I would remember from anywhere, one of the many who I had fought in my travels across old Edo, one of the few who gave me a good fight. I turn around with a grin, and hit the large man right in the gut.

"Kotabo, you depraved monk you, where's your damn robe! I almost didn't recognize you, then I saw your crazy dreadlocks again!" I laugh as he doesn't even flinch from the blow, smiling.

"Well, I thought looking like a monk wouldn't be the best idea at a youkai tournament, but this guy over here," he points behind him with his thumb at a slim, tall figured monk. The 'monk' looked oddly feminine, with long black hair, and could be easily mistaken for a woman. He wore a takuhatsugasa, a common hat for wandering monks, the hat shadowing most of his face. "Always seems to being his own robes... if only to hide more and more weapons. Ah, by the way, Yuugi, this is my friend Aurotabo, unlike me, he's actually a good person, a 'guardian of children and orphans' youkai. Aurotabo, this is Yuugi, met her while she was traveling, and she beat me in a fight! But now," He smiled. "I'm gonna get my rematch." I shake Aurotabo's hand, and laugh.

"Wahaha! Looks like birds of a feather really do stick together! You two _erotabous_, you damn perverted monks! I bet you're a lolicon just like him!" I continue to laugh, as the skinny guardian youkai grows red in the face, and starts waving his arms around, flustered, unable to form a complete sentence.

"Oy, just because I have a soft spot for children doesn't make me a lolicon!" Kotabo shouted at me, and Aurotabo nodded in agreement, while the larger youkai was just laughing about it, the skinnier one's gaze had turned from very flustered, to very serious.

"Oh lighten up! I'm just joking around!" I hit him in the gut, and I felt a large wall of metal as I did so. He flinched in pain for a moment, slowly getting back up. Kotabo just laughed, and patted Aurotabo on the back heavily, much to his dismay, as it made getting up even harder.

"Yeah, this lightweight may be stiff as a board personality wise, but he doesn't quite have the upper body strength to match! Ah, but that doesn't mean he can't put up a good fight." Aurotabo just sighed.

"And this heavyweight may be as loud as the oni, but he certianly can't hope to match them in ability." A small smirk appeared on Aurotabo's face. "Last time I checked, this 'lightweight' was still ahead in wins, wasn't he?"

"Not for much longer my friend! Besides, I've got bigger fish to fry, Yuugi, you better not fall flat in the prelims, I've still gotta claim that victory!"

"You should be worrying about yourself first!" I smirked at the monk turned youkai. "With all these youkai around, you sticking around like a sore thumb, and, of course, your lack of ability, you'll be one of the first to fall!" I laughed, and Kotabo followed suit.

As we laugh, an earnest, tall woman with teal eyes and scarlet hair walked up to our small little group. She wore a deep green shirt, cloak, and what I could only describe as 'kung fu pants.' She had a wide grin on her face, and alot of fire in her heart. She looked to be quite the earnest, honest, practictioner of martial arts. And, much to my surprise, she actually was. With her left hand holding her knapsack slung over her back, she extended her right hand towards me, with a lighthearted "_Ni hao a~! _I am Hong Meiling, pardon my language, I am still learning Japanese." I gripped her hand, which had become calloused through either training or gymnastics, the latter being the worse case for her opponents, and shook it hard.

_"Wo hen hao!" _I replied in the little Mandarin I knew, "Glad to meet you Hong Meiling! What brings you over here?"

"Was in the middle of a long journey, and I heard about this event. I thought it would be a good place to test my skills!" She said, shaking back with vigor. "And you?"

"I was going to go to China to continue my journey, but my friend brought me here, and I'm loving almost every minute of it!" I said, and then quickly added on, "Well, every minute save for all this waiting!"

"I know what you're talking about," Said Kotabo, "I know as an ex-monk you're suppost to be patient, but waiting through all of this is just plain stupid!"

"Why do I even need to be in these preliminaries! I'm a deva of the mountain!"

"Really? Do you think that is going to be enough?" A voice rang out behind me, and I saw a figure clad in an indigo robe, with an unreal sword on her back, the only way I was able to tell it was a woman, was because of the tone of her voice, latent with smug cockiness.

"Do you think I need anything more? I'm plenty strong enough to be in the first round!" I yelled at the hidden figure, and she just sighed.

"Are you an idiot?" She said, making this question nearly seem like a statement. "If they just picked the 32 strongest, then the rest of the youkai would start a riot, which would result in a pseudo-'preliminary' round anyway. If they wanted to, those oni could just find the strongest person, and claim him the victor. But that would be boring, of course, so we fight. Not only is it boring, however, but it is also not what the benefactor is truly looking for. If she was looking for strength she could just ask the gate oni, as I said before, but no, she introduced a preliminary round, and a long period of waiting time before it. She's looking for more than just strength of body, but strength of mind. Sure you're strong enough physically to be in the first round, but from what I'm seeing, you're not mentally strong enough to make it."

"Excuse m-" I was about to grab that woman and throw her into a wall, but Meiling just walks up to her and bows.

"_Ni hao!_ I am Hong Meiling!" She extended her right hand to the figure, but the figure just blew her off completely, and walked away.

"What a jerk." Said Kotabo, and everyone nodded in agreement. "I really hope she makes it to the first round, just so I can pound the smugness out of her."

"Well, I'm going to go greet some more of the fighters, it's not a real fight unless you know your opponent!" Meiling said, while Kurotabo and I laughed.

"Exactly!" I said, patting her on the back. "That's what fighting's all about! You better make it past the prelims Hong, because I really want to fight you now!"

"Same with you!" She said, before turning to another group of youkai and talking to them. Kotabo Aurotabo and I followed suit, greeting as many other youkai as we could before the preliminaries actually started.

Strangely, that girl with the large sword strapped to her back who was being anti social before was also talking to many other youkai...

* * *

_With the prelims going to be a massive free-for-all, one would think that one would have to fight alone. That is not the case. If I can get several of these weaker youkai to gang up on some of the stronger youkai here, either one of two things will happen. Either the weaker youkai will win, and I'll get to fight weaklings in the later rounds, or the stronger youkai will at least be winded from fighting all the weaker youkai. Meanwhile, I could get away with doing nothing the entire preliminary round._

"Look," The figure in indigo started persuading the seventh group of weaker youkai. "There are some folks over here that are horrendosly more powerful than us. While you could just dodge around and hope to some how make it to the first round, but then what? You heard the benefactor, there is nothing for second place. The best hope we have is to band together, and take down some of the stronger youkai before the fights get to be one on one."

"We?" A bird youkai squaked, "Look at that sword on your back, why don't you just fight those strong youkai yourself?" _Hmm, either a smart one, or a selfish one._

"This 'sword' is just some lightweight material strewn together to look meanacing. I'm in the same boat as you." _A quick lie, this sword is as real as my own strength, the problem is, I know it's not enough to take out some of the physically stronger youkai._ "I need to gang up on this guy for me." She pointed at the offender that would give her trouble, and then left to see another group of youkai.

* * *

"Why did I make this tournament start in the day, why did I make there be a waiting period?" Lamented Yukari in the MVY section, fanning herself endlessly.

"Tha-" Satori tried to start, but Yukari quickly cut her off.

"Yes yes, because if I get a disciple it will have to be someone who can cope with my sleeping habits, and the waiting period is to determine their stamina."

"I was going to say that that was a retorical question, and needs no answer, but ok Yukari."

"Don't mess with me when I'm tired mind reader. You won't like me when I'm tired."

"I sure do~!" Said Suika, laughing and drinking endlessly. "Now come on, fight already, it's getting boring!"

"That doesn't sound like such a ba-"

"Yukari, it's noon." Satori said matter-of-factly, and Yukari opened up another gap for Stori to talk into.

"Try to keep it nice~." Said Yukari, pulling out some opera glasses, ready to watch the preliminaries.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen. It's hot, you're all tired and angry, and it is now noon. You may now start maiming each other." A small scuffle lead the voice to quickly change that statement. "THOSE OF YOU IN THE ARENA!"

Youkai started to yell, scream, charge, and slash. I stood in a realitivly open posistion, as I strafed to the left and right to dodge attacks. A green gremlin type youkai charged head on into me. I held my sake dish above my head, using my right hand to grab the head of the youkai and throw him into another youkai. Two more youkai jumped at me, a bull and a tiger, and I stomped at the ground, causing a dust blast to knock them both backwards. I quickly took a drink from my dish, using my other hand to taunt the youkai.

A grimy skinned youkai charged in, while I raised my leg up above my head and kicked him down into the ground. Rocks quickly rebounded upward, uprooted from the earth, and I threw many of them at youkai surrounding me, because if too many got close to me at once, I would have been in trouble. One of them wove through the rocks with a katana, and swung it at me horizontally. I took it hit, but tightened my muscles once it penetrated flesh, causing the sword to remain stuck there. I quickly use my right hand to snap the sword in two, and kick its weilder into another youkai.

I just laughed, and took another drink from my cup. "Come on, I know that you can't possibly hope to match the strength of the oni, but at least put up a better fight, you're making the sake taste bad!"

* * *

"Well well well, we have a monk here don't we?" A large group of gargantuan, stong in body, yet apparantly weak of mind, youkai surrounded Aurotabo. "You should know not to come to such an event."

"Just because I wear a monk's robes does not make me a youkai. In essence, what does it matter, a monk would still be able to provide you a fight." He said, pulling his hat over his eyes.

"Ah, the girly man speaks!" Another of the youkai laughed at him. "You don't look like you'd put up any fight at all, what kind of youkai are you?"

"A protector of orphans and children." The youkai just laughed. The biggest guy in the back just laughed, and muttered out a statement in broken Japanese.

"Ou haer wot he dun sad? He's a mother!" All of the surrounding youkai just laughed, and Aurotabo just spun around, an anger vein appearing on his veiled face. A few bladed weapons flew from the gaps between the many youkai, impaling a few unfortunate souls. All of the surrounding youkai quickly stoped laughing, as they all fell backwards, covered in swords and knives.

"I'm also one of the best fighters you'll never see." Aurotabo pulled out two sickles from his robe, and took a defensive stance, as more youkai came in to attack him.

* * *

Hong Meiling stood opposing a youkai weilding a greatsword. The youkai smiled, overconfident. "What's a hummie doing over here? You look more fit to be serving drinks at a forigen resteraunt!" Hong Meiling paid the comment no mind, and charged at the youkai. The youkai, in response, charged at her, going for an overhead slash. Hong quickly dashed to her left, using her right leg to coil around the youkai's own like a snake, causing the youkai to fall from his own momentum.

She grasped his sword with her right hand and pulled it up to her full height, before putting the tip of the blade towards the youkai's neck. "Give in." She said. The youkai snarled, and knocked away the blade, but this time Meiling just turned around and kicked another youkai behind her into an arena wall before spinning aroudn and putting that same foot to the youkai's neck. The youkai reluctantly surrendered, and Meiling just smiled, pulling her foot away. She bowed to her fallen opponent. "Thank you for the fight." She then turned around and kicked the same youkai she kicked into the wall the first time back into the wall. "And you as well."

* * *

Kotabo knocked away another youkai that jumped to slash at him, and was sweating heavily. "Come at me you lot!" He boasted, though his boasts were empty. Since the preliminaries had begun, youkai had just flung themselves at him, not ever giving him a break. He clapped his palms together, and then pouned the ground with those hands, knocking many of the surrounding youkai into the air. He grasped two of them from the air, and spun them around him, knocking more away.

But as youkai were knocked away, it seemed more came flooding in. They jumped at him, slashing at his legs, and he kicked them away, though the wounds on his legs were apparent. "Is that all you go-" Youkai dogpiled upon the fallen monk, dragging him down to the ground by the beads. One of them made the mistake of breaking his necklace.

"GET OF OF ME!" Kotabo jumped up, knocking all the other youkai away with strength renewed. "You foolish fodder, I won't fall that easily!"

* * *

As the arena was thrown into chaos, there was one figure who looked at peace. To the figure clad in indigo, the one with the large sword strapped to her back, it was just like taking a stroll through the park. The screams of the audience died down to her, as she walked past several youkai fighting.

One youkai saw this, and immediatly tried to attack her, but she threw her sword up into the air, and it landed right infront of her attacker. The attacker tried to rapidly back off, but the figure appeared behind him, and hit him into the sword, knocking him out quickly and efficently.

"You're either smart, or a fool for attacking me."

* * *

"Stop." A dull voice came again through the arena, but no one payed it anymind, just continuing to rampage. I was laughing, kneeing one of my last youkai in the chest. "Stop." The voice repeated, but near nobody heard it over the sounds of fighting. "STOP!" The voice, now angry, yelled at everybody. After giving up, the second voice returned, the playful one.

"Now now~, you really should listen to thost talking to you~." A large screech came from all directions, and near everyone in the arena cover their ears. "Good, now, shame on all of you~!" All of the competetors felt a smack on the back of the head, but when they turned around, they were greeted with nothing. "There's only 9 of you left standing, we wanted 32!" The voice pouted for a moment, before laughing. "Preliminaries are over! Now, please give your names to the blue oni walking onto the feild. Do not attack him~."

A blue oni jumped down from the stands onto the feild, and started talking to all the competitors, taking down names before running back to where I could only assume the 'benefactor' was sitting.

"Oh, that simplifies things, it seems I miscounted, there are only 8 people that will advance to the next round~." I looked around, and counted those still standing, not forgetting myself, and there were 9. I just stood there confused, as the voice read off the names.

"The jittery speedster, Kaze~." The youkai, who I could only assume to to be Kaze, jittered at the title he was given. He had raven black skin, and a black beak on his face, and was wearing only a light vest and some cloth pants. He looked weak, and I assumed that he make it through with alot of running and dodgeing.

"The protector of children and orphans, Aurotabo.~" The man clad in the monk outfit bowed, as he continued to pick up several of the weapons he threw.

"One of the four devas of the mountai-"

"YUUGI HOSIGUMA! KICK SOME ASS!" Suika's voice rang over the previous one's voice, and hiccupped quickly before the previous voice came back. I just stood there, waving at the audience and taking a drink.

"Yes... her... anyway~, next is the the silent astral knight, who's name was engraved on her sword, Konngara~." I looked to see a person wearing red robes, and looking up at the stands with glowing red eyes. But her most striking feature was a red spike potruding from the tip of her head like my own horn. The spike dripped blood, and it dropped some onto the floor when she bowed before the audience.

"The red giant, Dhonhiki~." A massive man, larger than even Kotabo roared out. He had spiky brown hair that pointed behind him all around his face, like a lion's mane. There was not much to say about him, he was big, red, and strong.

"The China gal, Kurenai Misuzu~." Hong Meiling's face lit up bright red, and she yelled out too the heavens.

"IT'S READ KURENAI MISUZU, BUT IT'S PRONOUNCED HONG MEILING!"

"Ah... yes... anyway~, next is the competetor who refused to give a name, the rookie in indigo with the large sword." The figure seemed to be taken aback when called 'rookie,' and stared up into the stands, looking for this 'benefactor.'

"And our last competetor is the other nameless one, the lady in black." I turned and say a tall lady in a black kimono, looking at the 'rookie' with disdain. "The fights will start soon, I'm putting all the names in a ga- hat, and shuffling them all together, and will decide the order of the fights. Until then, please help your fellow youkai out of the arena, and into the medical bay~." The voice stops, and a door to the medical bay opens up, but I run over to Kotabo.

He just stood there, surrounded by many unconsious youkai, his beads littering the floor. "Dammit you idiot, didn't you say you were going to meet me in the finals?" I look at his figure, and sighed, as I picked the unconsious man up, and carried him to the medical bay.

_Bartender, another drink!_


	3. Round 1, Block A!

**Round 1: Block A.**

* * *

_Yes, the preliminaries went by fast, but the real events had not yet begun. The large free for all, while loud, rowdy, and bloodthirsty; was nothing compared to the later matches. While younger youkai would argue that more battle and more fighters lead to a better event, only a one on one battle was appreciated by the finer connoisseurs of combat._

_Said connoisseurs would rip your arms off if you said otherwise._

_I was sad that my friend Aurotabo had not passed the preliminaries, but I was also excited. If he had lost, then those that had made it would give me even better fights! While I was right for the most part... there was one fighter that looked the weakest... And out of the seven I got to fight him._

* * *

"Ufufu, Round 1 begins now~!" The voice called from all around, and the crowd cheered. "The fights will be held in two blocks, with three fights in each block, two starting fights in which the winners get to clash for a spot in the finals. But you all didn't come to hear me talk, first fight! Yuugi vs. Kaze! Everyone else please vacate the field of combat~! Oh, and Kaze, if you plan on using your wings to fly, please keep only a couple metres off the ground. Anymore and it wouldn't be a fight, but you kiting and wasting our time~."

Once the voice has stopped talking, a small enclave formed in the arena wall, which promptly enlarged when the red giant tried to walk through it. As the rest of the competitors turned around and sat on a stone bench, stone walls rose up, forming a metaphorical wall between them and the arena. Any of those six could easily cut or break through the wall, but then a purple barrier formed around the stone, and none of the six even bothered to test its durability, the aura could be felt even from where I was in the arena.

I stood across from the lanky black bird youkai, staring him down as he tried to do the same. His jitters gave his lack of confidence away. Both of us took a battle stance, his light and airy, min a heavy and earthy stance.

_'Why do I have to fight him out of all the opponents... All of the other ones looked interesting to fight, but because of this guy I get to miss out on an interesting fight. I'd only get three fights at best in this tournament, and I get the weakling... He just had to run around the arena and avoid fighting.'_ This is what I thought at that time.

"Alright, for the first fight, time to go to the beach~!"

Purple light around the edges of the arena glowed brightly, and I looked around as the dust underneath my feet had turned to sand. The entire feild of the arena had become sand, save for one edge that was waves crashing on the beach. Salty ocean air buffeted my face as the voice continued to laugh, before being abruptly cut off.

* * *

"Yukari, what the hell did you do that for!" Yukari just smiled playfully, Satori, not wanted to be involved in this, feeling Suika's anger, took a leave of absence. "Yuugi got the easiest opponent by chance, and you decide to give the opponent the best conditions to fight her!"

"I am merely putting on a good fight for my audience~. No one wants to see an oni just thrashing a bird to shreds~."

"I doubt you believe that, and that anyone else would!"

"Just because fortune gave your friend the luck of the draw doesn't mean I will. If your friend is so good then she can work her way out of this."

"Yukari..."

"So, who do you think will win~?"

"Yuugi, obviously!"

"Really~?"

"Yes! All the way to claim victory in the finals!"

"Really? Because I like that rookie."

"Which rookie, you know how hard it is to tell the age of most youkai! Look at you, look at me!"

"The one in indigo and the large sword. Everything about that one screams both rookie and genius."

"...So, are you willing to bet anything on that?"

"The usual~?"

"The usual."

"You must really want to win this bet, to take it and lose so many times."

"Just start the match and watch Yuugi take her opponent down! And don't even try playing favorites with the stages again!"

* * *

_Oh, why did I have to fight her... It was a mistake coming here... I only got this far through luck... but it seems like the goddess of fortune is smiling upon me today. With this stage, I stand a chance, and even I can take an oni down._

* * *

"Ufufu~, begin!" The sound quickly rang out before cutting itself off again, leaving only the sounds of the waves crashing on the shore.

Kaze let his wings loose, taking to the air, and charged right at me with high speeds, only comparable to one youkai I had seen before.

_Kaze was much slower than her... but that person was not a fighter, but a... oh, sorry, back to fighting. Now where was I... Oh yeah, this guy may have made it through only through dodging, but that tactic was employed by many a lesser youkai. I was about to see why he had made it through, why he was the best among those._

I threw a punch in front of myself as he barreled right into me, talons bared. However, as I stepped down into the ground to follow through with my punch, my leg sunk into the sand, causing me to miss him as he sped by, rending my outer skin with his talons, but not dedicating, either out of fear or foresight, maybe both.

But as he past me, the second attack struck me, a gale of wind, while not normally enough to knock me down, the shifty sands had not provided much support for me to stand on. But neither of these disoriented me as much as the sand that had been thrown up by his gales.

I tried to wipe the sand out of my eyes and charge at him, but with the ground as loose as that it was just pointless.

_If there were only some rocks I would have thrown them at him, but the field was all beach, even throwing the wet sand deeper in the earth was worthless, he would just blast the sand apart with a gale, and throwing the dry sand would just cause it to be thrown into my own face. Just one good hit and I could win! But on this field there was no opportunity present to hit him. Annoying, I know. This guy was providing no opportune moments to strike, and he knew it. He pushed the advantage, and continued to use the sand against me. He also knew that I could take him out in one hit, and would keep his distance. I would take advantage of this._

I took a gourd of sake and drank it dry before re-attaching it my pack and charging. I deemed standing my ground a lost cause, I turned away from Kaze and I started running the opposite direction. Thinking that I was just baiting him by retreating to nowhere, he just continued to throw sand and wind at me, buffeting me, and throwing me around the soft earth. While the damage was not much, it would be enough to wear me down with time, and if I did not end it soon, even if I won I would be in bad shape for my next fight. As well, the cuts I got from his one actual attack burned when sand filled into the wounds.

I kept running away from him, his gales propelling me further with the wind at my back. He chased after, keeping his distance, only pushing himself to attack for real when he realized where I was running to.

The ocean.

He accelerated, using his talons to cut my skin, but as with before, not really rending much flesh. He was not a fool, and cursed to himself under his breath, knowing he did not possess the strength to quite stop me. I jumped into the water, and was astounded to find that the water was actually ocean water. The salt water stung my wounds, but it was better than having sand in them, the same water washing the sand away. From there, I dived underwater, and I did what was needed to close the gap and even the odds.

* * *

Now the only competitor above sea level, Kaze stood carefully on the water's edge as the crowd started to jeer at him.

_My wing's aren't strong enough to produce winds that could break the water's surface, and any of the sand would just sink to the bottom of the ocean... And going into the water would be suicide, I can't fly underwater, and my wings would prove to be dead weight when wet... But she's been under there for far too long..._

Kaze jittered uncontrollably as the crowd grew louder. Neither he nor his opponent could do anything like this, and nothing was happening. Kaze drew his talons again, and stabbed his arm with him, calming his shivering.

_But there is one thing that Oni are not._

_Water-breathing._

_She'll have to come up for air, soon, and when she does, I'll swoop in and slash her face._

* * *

I continued swimming, but not through water, no, through sand. _You see, when you're an oni, you have more than enough strength to swim through sand like most people can swim through water._ I swam far under the surface, to where I guessed was behind him, and I poked my head out of the ground. I had the 'empty' gourd in my mouth, gulping down air like it was sake, and now could drop the gourd from my teeth. Sand sifted down my head, and I made out a view of him staring at the ocean intensely. I dove back deep underground, for fear that my footsteps would give me away, and swam to right underneath where he was.

And then the time was right, my position was precise, my patience was at it's limit, and my breath had run short. I burst from the ground, sand cascading down my shoulders, though a lot was stuck to my still damp figure, and I lifted Kaze up from directly under him. I gripped his arm and leg tightly with my hands, and his struggling was met with no results. "Don't you know when you're at a beach you can't just play around with the sand." I said smirking. Kaze knew what would come next, and started fidgeting, jittering, and flat out shaking. "You've gotta swim in the ocean!"

I jumped up, bird in hand, and slammed him down into the water. He quickly rose to the surface, gasping for air, eye bulging when he saw me come crashing in after him.

* * *

"Well, I guess this match is over~." Yukari said as the ocean water far below churned.

"Yup, told ya Yuugi is the best here." Suika said as she took a drink, and Kaze stuck his head out of the water, gasping for air.

"We shall see Sukia. We shall see~." Yuugi's hand quickly jumped out of the water, and promptly dunked the bird.

"Do you think we should just declare Yuugi the victor already, and spare the poor bird?"

"No~. Why would you want that anyway?"

"Because we can't even see the fight right now."

"...Still no~." As Sukia took a drink, a geyser shot up from the ocean, and Kaze laid unconsieus on the beach, twitching to the end. This time when Yukari spoke, it was through a gap. "First fight, victor, Yuugi!"

The crowd cheered as Yuugi walked out of the water, drinking sake from a leather pouch. She picked up Kaze with one hand and slung him over her shoulder. She walked over to where the other competitors were sitting. The purple barrier had faded, the wall had lowered, allowing the two fighters to go in, and for two new competitors to come out.

"Second fight, Kotabo vs. Konngara!" The red robed astral knight and monk robed protector of children walked out onto the beach, and as the rock wall closed behind them the beach turned into a grassy hill... with many ownerless swords strewn all around, protruding from the ground. Well, wielder-less would be inappropriate as well, for there were several bones which were seemingly attached to the swords, owners who had long since passed.

The two opponents just stood across from each other, Konngara drawing her longsword, and Kotabo took out one of his katanas hidden underneath his robes.

* * *

"Ugh, what happened..." Kaze groaned as he got up.

"You lost!" I replied, cleaning my wounds before using some alcohol to sterilize them, and then dressing the wounds. While they were light, any and all wounds should be treated.

"Gah!" He jumped up, and he covered his eyes when he realized he was right next to me.

"Oh, calm down, there's nowhere I can do this in private, so I'm making due."

"...My girlfriend's gonna kill me."

"You're lucky I'm not going to." The bird youkai sneezed.

"Why did that water have to be so cold..."

"Oh, shake it off and watch the fight already!" With my wounds bandaged I rung out my shirt and slipped it back on.

"...What fight?"

The two competitors were standing on opposite sides of the hill, just looking at each other.

"..." Said Kotabo.

"..." Said Konngara.

"I already said 'begin,' you can start the fight already..." The once playful voice turned bored, a hint of anger was in her voice. The crowd had more than a hint of anger, but the two fighters seemed to pay them no mind.

"..."

"..."

Suddenly, the two spontaneously charged at each other, Konngara swinging her longsword in an overhead arc, while Kotabo did a slash from the hip. Both swords clashed, and sparks flew in all directions. But while the sparks made Kotabo's sword look bathed in light, Konngara's sword was literally bathed in light, even giving off a trail of light and sparkles as she swung the sword downward. The katana, while proving to be a better weapon fundamentally, seemed to fail completely against the light bathed longsword, cracking and breaking, falling to pieces as Kotabo jumped away onto the hilt of one of the swords sticking out of the hillside.

Konngara jumped after him, swinging at him with her sword, but Kotabo pulled out a sickle from his left hand, trying to divert the blade as it was swung. However, the blade proved to be too much, and as the sickle cracked, a claw shot out from Kotabo's right sleeve, grabbing a sword hilt, and pulling the 'monk' rapidly away towards the sword.

Konngara gave chase, and with his left hand Kotabo flung many knives and spears at his pursuer... but she just knocked them away with her swords and closed in on him.

Kotabo jumped up, and fell above his opponent, several blades appearing from underneath the shadow of his robe. Konngara raised her sword to block it, and as she did the light on the blade of the sword flew in all directions, knocking Kotabo back. As he flew back, several knives and shuriken were flung at Konngara. She deflected most of the projectiles but several of the shuriken hit her sides.

She got close to Kotabo and swung downwards at him, but he dodged most of the strike, getting a shallow wound to the left arm, but striking her with his right, with three swords clenched between his fingers.

She got hit, but she turned her sword after her swing, and slashed into Kotabo's side, but his layers of knives took most of the blow.

They both jumped back, and then charged at each other, each slashing with a flurry of blows, Konngara with her longsword, and Kotabo with his many blades; Kotabo cycling though the blades as they were destroyed.

But Kotabo was not aiming for her with his strikes, and finally, after much slashing and a little luck, he hit the handle of her sword, knocking it out of her hands. The glowing sword flew up, spinning through the air, flying behind Kotabo.

It landed flat in the soft grass, far out of Konngara's reach, and Kotabo pointed a sword right at her.

"..." Konngara looked at the swords surrounding her, and when she looked back at Kotabo her face was in tears.

"..." Kotabo was taken aback for a moment, but then he exhaled, and walked over towards Konngara's fallen blade, picked it up, and then threw it to her underhanded.

"..." She smiled, and wiped the tears away from her face, holding the sword with one hand,.

"..." Kotabo smiled back warmly at her, and just watched as she recovered.

"..." Konngara had smirked, and pointed at Kotabo with a chuckle.

"..." He waved his arms around, flustered, his face reddened, before just giving up, exasperated with his arms falling down in before him.

"..." She laughed, and quickly bowed to Kotabo. When her head came back up her eyes were focused again. She held up her pointer finger, and stared at Kotabo.

"..." He nodded, and he drew a pitch black katana.

"..." Both of them seemed to breathe at the same time, and both gripped their blades tightly, Kotabo at his side and Konngara over her head.

They both silently pushed off the ground, and slashed at each other in a display so dazzling it seemed like the entire arena was turn purely black and white, with only the silhouettes of the blade masters and blades being visible.

The two passed each other, and stood facing in opposite directions. From what I could see, Kotabo had a smile on his face. He fell to the ground, and thus the second fight of the tournament was finished. I would be facing Konngara in the semifinals, and it seemed like it was going to be a good fight.

_But first, we go into the other block, and before we do that, I need another drink, BARTENDER!_


End file.
